Im looking to find out how fast the quickest growing moss on earth
grows. A good answer will include information on specifically how fast
it has been known to grow, so that i can know definitively how much
faster it grows than the next, and that this is true.
 im not just looking for a reputable source stating that a particular
type is definatively the fastest.

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Clarification of Question by joycat-ga on 26 Feb 2003 07:49 PST

i am looking to know how much area the fastest growing moss will cover
under optimal conditions.  it doesnt matter how large the perimiter of
the starting piece is, also assume the optimum for growth. so if
growth rate is slowed down we would chop it up to ideal size and
continue growing more pieces.

Can't help you on that, but I can tell you the tallest!  Dawsonia
superba - it can grow 1 metre tall!

Also, it occurs to me that perhaps you could clarify if you want the
species that grows fastest under a particular set of conditions (for
instance if you wished to establish moss in your garden), or under
optimal conditions for each species.  Sorry to be pedantic, but by
"grow", do you mean increase in mass, volume, or some linear
dimension?

thank you for your efforts xarqi, your suggestions totally helped me
clarify the question.
i reposted the revised question, so take a look.

Cool.
Again - I can't give you a specific (hee hee) answer, but I'd tend to
look among mosses from the tropics.  In general, plant growth rate is
governed by the availability of nutrients (good old NPK), light
levels, adequate water, and temperature.  I would guess that tropcal
mosses, being adapted to survival in higher temperatures, would have a
faster growth rate (assuming no other limiting factor).

BTW - would you believe that the fastest moss was Stirling Moss? :-)

Some journal links:
http://www.maney.co.uk/bryology.html
http://apt.allenpress.com/aptonline/?request=get-archive&issn=0007-2745
("The Bryologist")